Bob Blauner, American sociologist, Died at 87

Robert “Bob” Blauner was born on May 18, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, and died on October 20, 2016.

He was an American sociologist, college professor, and author.

His sociological writings and teachings on class, race and men are rooted in his years as a factory worker.

Bob’s formal studies led to a B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1948, followed by an M.A. in 1950; he earned his Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley in 1962.

Married twice, Bob Blauner started teaching at San Francisco State University, the University of Chicago and from 1963 on he taught at Berkeley.

Very well-known “Blauner Hypothesis” states that minority groups created by colonization, because it is forced on them, experience a greater degree of racism and discrimination than those created by voluntary immigration.

During his studies, Blauner contrasts the assimilation experiences of Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexican-Americans.

Bob Blauner’s work was funded by major groups such as the National Institute of Mental Health, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council.